At $484,000, the NLOS is nearly the cost of a Harpoon or Tomahawk missile, yet it only has the payload of 155mm shell or Hellfire missile. Unless the Navy can substantially reduce unit costs, it is as cost effective to shoot Harpoons at targets.

But there is a second problem. The Navy needs a NFS platform (other than the CG’s and DDG-51’s needed for air defense) with at least a 5″ gun. Without NLOS, the LCS can’t provide that. What can, is a frigate of comparable cost like the German F-125’s, which can carry out the NFS, Naval surface warfare, and ASW simultaneously. And if the Navy is smart enough to buy the Otto Melara Vulcano round, which has 120km range and 20m cpa, it will have a gun capable of delivering the necessary fire support at a fraction of the cost of the NLOS.